Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1973 · 50th Convention › Page 224
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 224

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

224 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

Identical:

5-40B
Emmaus Evangelical Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, N. Y.,
Joseph C. Weber, Secretary.

5-41

To Limit Delegates from Educational
Institutions

WHEREAS, The costs of synodical conventions are steadily
increasing; and

WHEREAS, Good stewardship requires that the gifts of
God’s people be used in the wisest, most effective and prof-
itable manner; and

WHEREAS, Two delegates from a synodical educational in-
stitution ought to be capable of adequately expressing the
causes and concerns of their particular institution to the
convention and its floor committees; and

Wuereas, It is assumed that the larger the number of
delegates the more unwieldy becomes the deliberative pro-
cess; and

Whereas, The number of advisory delegates at synodical
conventions is disproportionate to the number of voting dele-
gates and ought to be reduced: therefore be it

Resolved, That the maximum number of advisory dele-
gates from each of the synodical educational institutions be
set at two.

MANITOBA aND SASKATCHEWAN DISTRICT
Maynard F. Pollex, Secretary

35-42

To Elect Teacher Delegates at Conferences
Instead of District Conventions

Wuereas, The LCMS requires that each District shall send
advisory delegates to the synodical conventions: and

Wuereas, According to the Bylaws of the LCMS the
teacher advisory delegates are to be selected in a general
election during a District convention; and

Wuereas, Such an election does not give all teachers
within a District the opportunity to vote for their delegate;
and

Wuereas, The District Teachers Conference is an officially
designated meeting of each District of the LCMS;: therefore
be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod
allow teacher delegates to synodical conventions to be
elected during the District Teachers Conference next prior
to the synodical convention; and be it further

Resolved, That the synodical Handbook regulations be
changed accordingly.
CALIFORNIA AND Nevaba District
District TEACHERS CONFERENCE
Janice Alexander, Secretary

5-43

To Grant Speaking Privileges to Youth
Delegates

Wuereas, The existing convention rules of the Synod do
not provide speaking privileges for youth delegates: and

Wuereas, The presence of youth delegates is most desir-
able if youth are allowed to Participate in convention de-

liberation as fully as other advisory delegates: therefore be it
Resolved, That youth delegates be granted the same
speaking privileges as other advisory delegates.

Grace LUTHERAN CHURCH
Jacksonville, Fla.
Herbert Schert, Chairman

5-44

To Rescind Right of Pastoral Conferences
to Memorialize
Wuereas, The right to memorialize Synod has been taken
away from individual laymen: and
Wuereas, Lay delegates to convention often cannot attend
due to job conflicts; and
WHEREAS, Pastoral conferences are allowed to memorialize
Synod: and
Wuereas, The above three statements result in a clergy-
flominated convention in numbers and overtures; therefore
ei
Resolved, That the right of pastoral conferences to me-
morialize Synod be rescinded; and be it further
Resolved, That the numbers of voting pastors and laymen
be equal in all national and District conventions; leftovers

not to vote. LUTHERAN CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR
San Jose, Calif.
Paul Noostra, President
Richard Husman, Secretary

5-45

To Revise Procedure for Appointment
of Convention Committees

Resolved, That the Atlantic District petition the LCMS
assembled in convention in New Orleans in July 1973 to di-
rect the Council of Presidents to elect a committee of five (5)
District presidents and further to direct the synodical Pres-
ident to appoint the convention committees with the help
and approval of the committee elected from the Council of
Presidents; and be it further

Resolved, That the committee of five district presidents
and the convention committees are to be representative of
the spectrum of opinion within the Synod.

Reasons: 1. The convention committees at syncdical con-
ventions render a highly significant service to the Synod in
processing the reports and overtures and in preparing recom-
mendations for consideration by the convention.

2. It is good stewardship that the selection of committee
members be made from representative persons available
throughout the Synod,

3. The Council of Presidents is able to give invaluable
assistance to the Synod and her President in the selection
of convention committees, since it is composed of elected
officials holding administrative positions which provide wide
acquaintance with current issues as well as with the pas-
tors, teachers, and lay persons in their Districts.

ATLANTIC District
Arlin A. Maas, Secretary

5-46

To Clarify “All Matters of Doctrine
and of Conscience Shall Be Decided Only
by the Word of God”

WHEREAS, The Handbook of the LCMS states: “All mat-
ters of doctrine and of conscience shall be decided only by
the Word of God” (Article VIII, c); and

Wuereas, Delegates at recent previous conventions of the
Synod seem to have decided some “matters of doctrine” by
majority vote; therefore be it

Resolved, That this stipulation of the Handbook be clari-
fied before any “matters of doctrine and of conscience” are
presented for decision by vote at the 1973 New Orleans
convention. Facuity

Concorpia COLLEGE
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Walter W. Stuenkel, Chairman
Walter A. Jennrich, Secretary